WWE 2K25 Review: 11 Ups & 3 Downs

9. Easy Playability

WWE 2K25 Backstage Brawl Sensational Sherri Rhea Ripley — 2K Games

While chain wrestling is something you can switch on or off depending on your preference, the wider gameplay of WWE 2K25 is just so easy to pick up, so fluid, and so meaty and weighty.

This is the sort of game that's easy to play but will need a little more time to fully hone your skills when it comes to reversals and minigames. And that's meant as a compliment, as you don't want something to just be a total piece of cake the first time you grab the controller. After all, it's rewarding to learn the smaller nuances and master the trickier elements of a game like 2K25.

But to circle back to that meaty and weighty, the action in WWE 2K25 feels impactful. If you're playing as a Gunther or a Sheamus, each blow you dish out feels like it's absolutely brutal. On the flip side of that, if you're, say, Rey Mysterio or Je'Von Evans, you really have to work at it to get one of those larger opponents off their feet or to do damage. It sounds extremely simple and basic, but the big guys and gals feel like the big guys and gals, while the smaller wrestlers feel like, well, smaller wrestlers - quicker, more agile, but with less power behind them.

All in all, the basic match mechanics of WWE 2K25 make the game extremely accessible, bringing a tangible feel to the moves being delivered.

Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.

See more from Andrew